The importance of the emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV) within the marine industry is often overlooked. This may be due to the fact that the role of the ERRV can appear to be limited to standby duties and emergency situations. However, the ERRV is a vessel that is actually utilised for many and varied tasks associated both with work onboard the installation to which it is assigned and within the general offshore environment. An ERRV may be required to perform routine standby duties during over side work from the installation or during helicopter landing and take-off operations, to perform in-field transfers or be assigned collision avoidance duties. All of these tasks require specific skills, training and levels of competence unique to the vessel type. Training, drills and exercises are, therefore, a major part of life onboard an ERRV, and the roles onboard demand a level of competence that is routinely and continually tested and assessed.

Routine operations may be performed in harsh weather conditions and the vessels must maintain station twenty four hours a day. Unlike other offshore support vessels, such as dive support vessels, platform supply vessels or anchor handling vessels, the ERRV is a constant presence at offshore platforms, semi-submersible drilling rigs and jack-ups. There is no respite from its duties and the vessel and crew must remain diligent, alert and in a constant state of readiness.

1.0 INCIDENTS AND CASUALTIES

1.1 SEA GEM (1965)

1.2 OCEAN EXPRESS (1976)

1.3 ALEXANDER KIELLAND (1980)

1.4 OCEAN RANGER (1982)

1.5 PIPER ALPHA (1988)

1.6 OCEAN ODYSSEY (1988)

1.7 WEST GAMMA (1990)

1.8 CORMORANT ALPHA (1992)

1.9 ETAP PLATFORM (2009)

1.10 CONCLUSION

2.0 REGULATIONS AND GUIDANCE

2.1 INSTALLATION SAFETY ZONES

2.2 OFFSHORE INSTALLATION REGULATIONS

2.3 OFFSHORE INSTALLATIONS (PFEER) REGULATIONS

2.4 ERRV CLASSIFICATION

2.5 ERRV GROUPS

2.6 EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND RESCUE VESSEL ASSOCIATION

2.7 MARITIME AND COASTGUARD AGENCY (UK)

2.8 NORWEGIAN REQUIREMENTS

2.9 DUTCH REQUIREMENTS

2.10 CANADIAN REQUIREMENTS

2.11 UNITED STATES REQUIREMENTS (USCG)

2.12 AUSTRALIAN REQUIREMENTS (AMSA)

3.0 ERRV DESIGN FEATURES

3.1 PRINCIPLES OF ERRV DESIGN

3.2 HULL DESIGN

3.3 PROPULSION AND MANOEUVRABILITY

3.4 DP SYSTEMS

3.5 BRIDGE DESIGN

3.6 RESCUE ZONES AND LAUNCHING AREAS

3.7 HELICOPTER WINCHING ZONES

3.8 MEDICAL AND SURVIVOR FACILITIES

3.9 MULTI-PURPOSE VESSELS

4.0 ERRV SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT

4.1 FAST RESCUE CRAFT (FRC)

4.2 DAUGHTER CRAFT (DC)

4.3 AUTONOMOUS RESCUE AND RECOVERY CRAFT (ARRC)

4.4 DC AND ARRC CERTIFICATION

4.5 LAUNCH AND RECOVERY SYSTEMS

4.6 RESCUE SCOOPS

4.7 RESCUE FRAMES

4.8 RESCUE BASKETS

4.9 SCRAMBLING AIDS

4.10 LOCATOR BEACONS

5.0 ERRV MANNING, FAMILIARISATION AND TRAINING

5.1 MANNING

5.2 FAMILIARISATION

5.3 TRAINING

5.4 OPITO

5.5 INITIAL TRAINING SHIPBOARD OPERATIONS

5.6 COMMAND AND CONTROL

5.7 ADVANCED MEDICAL AID

5.8 CREW FAST RESCUE CRAFT BOATMAN

5.9 CREW FAST RESCUE CRAFT COXSWAIN

5.10 CREW DAUGHTER CRAFT COXSWAIN

5.12 ERRV TRIALS AND DRILLS

6.0 ERRV OPERATIONS

6.1 PRIOR TO DEPARTURE TO LOCATION

6.2 ARRIVAL ON LOCATION

6.3 ERRV HANDOVER

6.4 ROUTINE STANDBY

6.5 CLOSE STANDBY

6.6 COLLISION AVOIDANCE

6.7 PERSONNEL TRANSFERS

6.8 TANKER MOORING ASSIST

6.9 INSTALLATION CHECKS

7.0 EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

7.1 COMMAND AND CONTROL

7.2 EVACUATION AND ESCAPE

7.3 POSITIONING OF THE ERRV

7.4 SEARCH AND RESCUE (ERRV)

7.5 SEARCH AND RESCUE (ARRC/DC/FRC)

7.6 LAUNCH AND RECOVERY OF RESCUE CRAFT

7.7 RECOVERY FROM THE SEA

7.8 RECOVERY FROM THE SEA (ERRV)

7.9 RECOVERY FROM SURVIVAL CRAFT

7.10 CASUALTY CARE

7.11 HELICOPTER OPERATIONS

Gary Ritchie completed his deck cadetship with Denholm Ship Management, serving on board Alcan, Cunard Ellerman, Ellerman City Liner and T&J Harrison vessels. After serving on board bulk and container vessels, he transferred to the offshore industry in 1991, serving on a number of anchor handling and platform supply vessels in the North Sea, West Africa and Far East.

During his time in the offshore sector, he was involved in a variety of operations including the Foinavon extended well test, Schiehallion and Foinavon FPSO tow outs and installations, semi-submersible and jack-up rig moving and towing, barge support, tanker loading support, deep sea towage and general cargo operations.

In 1998, he joined Marine Consultancy Trident Offshore as a Marine Superintendent, primarily shore-based, but with numerous offshore projects including periods as Marine Representative and Tow Master for Semi-Submersible Rig Moves and Tanker Mooring Operations.

Since 2000 he has worked for Subsea 7 (formerly Halliburton Subsea) in a variety of roles including Marine Compliance Engineer, Principal Marine Advisor and Vessel Superintendent for the offshore construction vessel ‘Subsea Viking’ and the ROV support vessel ‘Seisranger’.

He is currently the Designated Person Ashore (DPA) and Company Security Officer (CSO) for the Subsea 7 fleet.

He holds a Class I (Deck Officer) Certificate of Competency, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree and is a fellow of the Nautical Institute.